The present invention relates generally to the art of cutting, sorting and stacking paper or the like in sheet form in a continuous operation, and with such accuracy, precision and freedom from dust, that the paper so stacked requires no further handling other than wrapping, weighing and labeling prior to delivery to the customer. The operation is performed at high speed preferably on a single web of paper, and the final stacked sheets are sold under the trademark "AccuTrim" paper, marketed by the assignee herein. Moreover, the invention herein is an improvement in applicant's prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,203,326 and 3,272,044, and incorporates features disclosed in applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,363,520. Accordingly, for the purpose of providing a complete disclosure of the present invention the disclosures of the aforementioned U.S. patents should be considered as incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention consists essentially of the following basic components, including an unwind stand (not shown herein), a web inspection device, a cutting section, a tape type sheet receiving and sorting section, a sheet collecting section, a sheet slow down section and a sheet stacker all substantially as disclosed in applicants prior patents. Furthermore, for the present invention, the various machine components used in the aforementioned patents would be useful, except that the sheet collecting drum used herein is of the type more fully disclosed in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 3,363,520.
The contribution of the present invention to the various machine components disclosed in applicant's prior patents comprises an improved air shower control for the sheet collecting drum which enables the machine to cut sheets at a higher rate with a reduced load on the slow down section of the machine.